College basketball: Fred Van Vleet turns up the scoring

Fred Van Vleet does a little of everything on a basketball court. Sometimes a lot of everything.

In Wichita State's season opener, the sophomore point guard led the Shockers in rebounds, steals and assists.

But the all-time leading scorer among Rockford's four public schools had never been much of a shooter until he led an Auburn team with no player taller than 6-foot to third place in the state in Class 4A as a senior.

"I'm not a natural shooter, not a spot-up shooter. Nothing like that," Van Vleet said in a phone interview. "But if you put enough time in on something, it will pay off. Even in high school, I wasn't that good of a shooter until my senior year."

Van Vleet made a couple of the biggest shots in Wichita State history last year when he helped the Shockers reach the Final Four for the first time in 48 years, but he shot only 39 percent on the season and averaged 4.3 points.

"He's not a natural shooter," coach Gregg Marshall said. "He's just a guy who has worked on his shot. He trusts it. And he lives on the big moment. He makes that huge 3-pointer at the end against (No. 1 seed) Gonzaga and hits a huge runner against (No. 2) Ohio State in our run last year. The best players save their best for the opportune time against the best competition, and that's what he does."

But to become an elite point guard, Van Vleet had to become a consistent shooting threat.

He has done that. And that's a big reason why No. 11 Wichita State (12-0) is off to an even better start this year, despite graduating three of its top four scorers.

"You have to be able to knock the open shots down as a point guard," Van Vleet said. "Not too many good teams have a point guard that can't shoot the ball. When you can shoot, it opens up the whole world for a point guard.

"Being a natural driver, you get a knack for how defenses play you and you can get in the lane, but if you can't shoot, everything clogs up."

That used to happen to Van Vleet.

Not any more.

"It's embarrassing to not be a good shooter," he said. "You have an open shot, and you know you are supposed to shoot it, but you don't because you don't think it's going to go in. It's embarrassing not to be able to knock that shot down."

Van Vleet has almost tripled his scoring average to 11.5 points and is shooting 48 percent from the floor. That includes 50 percent on 3-pointers (12-for-24).

Shooting will never be what Van Vleet does best, but being a good shooter just helps Van Vleet be even better at everything else that he already did well.

"I want to be a good teammate and be unselfish," he said. "We have a lot of weapons and a couple of NBA prospects. What I want to do is lead the team. We have a lot of great weapons, but every once in awhile they need me to step up and score or rebound or do whatever it takes to win."

Van Vleet has gone from being the backup point guard to the starter this year. He's no longer a supporting player. Van Vleet (11.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals) leads the team in minutes played (32.3), even more than scoring leaders Cleanthony Early (15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Ron Baker (14.1 points).

"He was ready for it," Marshall said. "He's a very smart player, very cerebral and precocious. He is wise beyond his years and no one wants to win more than Fred Van Vleet.

"He fits perfectly into our program. He's a guy who if he is an inch or two bigger or slightly more athletic, then he is recruited by everybody in the country. But he wasn't. You have to watch Fred to see all the positives he brings. He's a coach's dream."

And now he's a coach's dream who can help others score or score himself with equal aplomb.

"He's really good at penetrating and finishing with either hand and he has improved dramatically with his shot, both from mid-range and on 3-pointers," Marshall said. "He's not just a point guard who gets everybody involved."

And Wichita State is not just a one-tournament wonder. The former underdogs, much like the Gonzaga team they shocked in the NCAA tourney, have now become favorites, a team that gets its highlights shown on ESPN.

"It's the exact opposite of what we had last year," Van Vleet said. "Last year we didn't have much attention and everybody thought of us as the underdog. There are perks having so much more attention. It's a proud feeling to see a Rockford kid on SportsCenter, playing on national TV more often than not.

"It's the time of my life. These are the best years of my life right now. I have to have fun with it, otherwise it's pressure."